Copper Hill plans program

Exploration work will continue this year at the Tim’s Cove gold-tungsten polymetallic project near Gander Bay, Nfld. Operator Copper Hill (CUHL-C) plans to carry out geophysical surveys, geochemical sampling and geological mapping at the wholly owned project.

Tim’s Cove hosts what is described as an undeformed quartz vein more than 1 km long and 2-15 metres wide, with offshoots covering a total of 3 km. The structure is hosted by the Devonian Charles Cove granodiorite.

Scheelite was discovered in the northern exposures of the vein system in the mid-1950s. During a sampling program in 1967, geologists excavated five trenches across the vein. A grab sample from the exposed mineralization contained 2.81% WO3, which concentrated as 69.6% tungsten. Noranda worked the ground in the late 1980s and described a different mineralogy and mineral potential in the southern portions of the vein, where they found arsenopyrite-pyrite zones with molybdenite, chalcopyrite and galena. Grab samples returned gold values of 0.5, 2.05 and 6.2 grams per tonne, with subsequent work by others resulting in grab sample values of 1.2 and 5.76 grams gold, plus 130 and 440 grams silver.

In early 1997, Copper Hill carried out an airborne magnetometer and very-low-frequency electromagnetic survey, as well as mapping and sampling. Anomalous gold and silver values were returned from this work, along with elevated lead concentrations. The company says the enriched silver contents of these samples (up to 450 grams per tonne) suggest that the galena is argentiferous.

Based in part on research carried out at Memorial University, Copper Hill intends to investigate possible linakages between gold-in-till and bedrock gold in the hope of identifying the gold source. This year’s program is designed to advance the understanding and potential of the gold-bearing, polymetallic vein system.

Newly listed Copper Hill has other properties in Newfoundland and Labrador, including ground near the Voisey’s Bay South region.